Scent
by ObscuraDemon
Summary: Oneshot /KuramaHiei\\ ... Kurama and Hiei meet to train as usual, but our favorite little youkai smells a little different then usual, and Kurama doesn't like it. Basically no plot, character analysis, and me feeling the need to write about these two because I love them sooo much. No lemons, but minor heated physicality. rated for mention of rape.


Warnings - there are no actual descriptions of anything graphic in this fic (except some heated tonguing), but it is fairly centered around the very adult theme of rape; so you've been warned.

Character/Pairing - KuramaHiei (in THAT order. I do indeed put the fox on top.)

Time in Series - ...?... um, right after the Sensui arc?... Maybe?...

AN - 1)Kurama is OOC because I head cannon that he and Youko aren't separate entities, just two aspect of a personality melded together. Also he is acting the way he is because in my world (and many other's) youkos are extremely serious about their mates, and take any disruptions intolerably. (And I always make him a_little _bit more demonic than he normally is when it's just him and Hiei)

2)Hiei is OOC because his relationship with Kurama is supposed to be fairly mature at this point, so he naturally opens up when he and Kurama are alone because he's finally gotten used to being honest with him and trusting him (or at least more than anyone else). Also, try to remember that all the stuff that goes on in Hiei's head isn't being expressed by him openly, he keeps a fairly straight face the whole time, Kurama's just really good at reading him.

3)I know that I seem to skim over the rape in this fic and I admit that I do, but that's not because I think don't take rape seriously (believe me I take it quite seriously), but in my version of the Yu Yu Hakusho demons is a lot more .. well, demonic than a lot of other writers. In my world rape is a fairly common occurrence for demons so neither Hiei nor Kurama take that seriously in terms of it's damaging effects because they're twisted and used to it.

4)If you can't figure out what the smell is... then I'm not to sure about you as a reader.

Disclaimer - Own, I do not... that's why I'm writing fanfiction and not a kinky spinoff.

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Kurama's eyes narrowed into Youkoesque slits as Hiei entered the clearing. They met here to train every Sunday like clockwork, so he'd known that the best way to find Hiei would be to just meet him at their usual spot; because if Hiei was on thing he was a creature of habit. For three hours Kurama had been anticipating this meeting, ever since he woke up at two at the morning and couldn't fall back asleep. Ever since he'd gotten a hint of that _smell._ And now the object of his burning anxiety stood twelve feet away, staring calmly, stoically. Now he could smell that scent stronger than ever. Now he could finally satisfy his enraged curiosity.

Keeping his pace controlled and patient he walked over to Hiei's small form, noticing with satisfaction the way his shoulder's tensed as the kitsune approached. Many long years of difficult life had forced him to develop a ridiculously strong sense of self-control, but even so a fox is still a fox, still an animal driven by the forces of nature, and as such the closer Kurama got to Hiei and the various smells enveloping him, the weaker his self control became. By the time his slow footsteps had brought him to stand a foot from the diminutive youkai, his body had begun to tremble from the effort of containing himself.

His hard emerald eyes looked down at the fire demon with a disturbing mixture of anger, concern, and curiosity. It took nearly two minutes of nervous shifting and avoidance for Hiei to slowly lift his eyes to meet the terrifying gaze weighing down on him, his emotionless mask sturdily in place as he stared back into furious eyes with bravery. Kurama said nothing, waiting with the _appearance_ of patience for Hiei to explain himself. In turn, the hi-youkai looked back defiantly refusing to break down under Kurama's silent assault, but as a few more minutes passed the hair on the back of his neck bristled and he started to tense from the dangerous look in the youko's eyes.

The overwhelming urge to run suddenly gripped the fire demon's stomach, his experienced instincts screaming madly at him to escape the risky situation immediately, but his pride forbade him from running from the kitsune when he had nothing to hide. So instead of gratifying his trusted instincts, he settled for shifting his weight from foot to foot as subtly as he could manage. The fox's nostrils flared at the tiny action. As he rocked ever so slightly, Hiei's thighs inadvertently rubbed together causing the previously strong odours floating from him to intensify to unbearable levels. Kurama's self control broke.

The kitsune was suddenly crouched in a distinctly animal stance, his green eyes narrowed in a snarling, feral expression, the irises glinting wildly with gold. Hiei's expression faltered for a mere second at the drastic change in the other's countenance before the expressionless mask fell back into place. Hiei shifted his feet a little wider apart, gaining an inconspicuously defensive stance, as he watched the fox with wary eyes.

Kurama began circling the little fire demon in a tight orbit, thoroughly sniffing the air around him with unmistakable fury. As he continued his path around the youkai, savage growls erupted from deep in the fox's throat, and as he clenched his hands into fists, his claws grew of their own accord, biting into the skin of his palm unnoticed. His progress was slow, deliberate; extracting every piece of retrievable information from the sea of scent and making his displeasure painfully evident. Finally, after two excruciating laps around the battle-ready koorime, he stopped silently at Hiei's back. Leaning close to his ear; he let feral growls pour hot breath onto the back of the hi-youkai's neck, almost smirking at the way Hiei's body shivered in instant response. After an unhurriedly tense pause, he finally spoke, his voice a very echo of his previous growling.

"Who was it?"

If the instinct to run was strong before, it was completely unstoppable now. Hiei bit down on his lip and tried to stop his body from bolting, managing to reduce his desperate movement to nervously tensing his arms. He felt pathetic, being so easily intimidated by Kurama, being so easily manipulated as to have him on the verge of cowardly flight when he hadn't even been physically threatened yet. How did Kurama always do this to him? He thought miserably to himself, how is it that I, a demon of unimaginable strength, who has experienced torture worse than most can imagine without even flinching in pain, can be scared stiff by someone how hasn't so much as struck me? It was a question that bothered him often, why could Kurama manipulate him so easily?

Taking a shaky breath, Hiei answered in an expertly unaffected voice, "A stranger. I don't know anything about them and I never did."

Kurama hissed in disapproval, but just as he was about to retort Hiei continued.

"It was.. accidental..." His voice had a very tiny edge of nervousness and trepidation as he trailed off softly, casting his eyes down to stare intently at the ground.

Despite his state of anger and suspicion, Kurama easily picked up Hiei's anxiety as he said that last word, instantly alerting the fox to fact that there was more to it than what the fire demon said. Knowing that, his temper was appeased somewhat; since it was obviously not something Hiei had deliberately planned, but unfortunately for the hi-youkai his ire was not entirely extinguished.

One of the fox's hands slipped gently onto Hiei's shoulder, while the other wrapped around his torso forcefully pulling him up against Kurama's remarkably strong chest. The fire youkai's eyes widened in shock and confusion at the kitsune's reaction to his words, unsettled by the odd response. He almost relaxed against Kurama's familiar frame until the hand on his shoulder abruptly tightened it's grip, the claws cutting into his flesh and causing him to gasp in shock and unexpected pain.

Just as Hiei managed to cut his embarrassingly loud gasp short, the sound of Kurama's cold, angry whisper startled him further, "Does this mean nothing to you?!" Kurama's hand ran over a fairly fresh bite mark on the fire demon's collar bone, one the fox himself had inflicted.

The hi-youkai wanted to tell him that it did mean something to him, that it meant everything to him, but as usual his stubborn pride refused to let him tell Kurama the real truth. He tried to think of a way to get the youko to understand, but couldn't think of anything that he could possibly manage to say out loud.

After a moment of waiting for a response, the kitsune continued angrily, "You are well aware of the implications of those marks, and what they mean to me, and yet you blatantly disregarded them! I marked you as my own and you knowingly swore loyalty," Kurama tightened his hold on Hiei's torso, "And then you insult me, _us,_ by giving yourself to another?!" All the muscles in the youko's body tensed in rage and hurt, a growl slipped through his lips which were now basically resting against Hiei's ear. Mixed in with his angered snarling a final word slipped out, "Why?"

The koorime wanted so badly to tell Kurama everything that had happened, to tell him the full, open truth, because deep down he knew that if Kurama knew what had happened he would believe him, forgive him, and more likely than not, comfort him. But would he? Somewhere in the back of Hiei's scarred mind, a familiar voice asked a question he'd heard before. Why would Kurama sympathize with him if he knew? Why would anyone? There is no reason to sympathize with a weakling, with someone who has been destined to be nothing but dirt, and has yet again proved that this destiny is no lie. Someone who was born to be hurt and rejected. Why would anyone sympathize with someone like that for being hurt yet again? They wouldn't. It was the same conclusion he came to every time, but something about this one felt final, like this was the one time that the kitsune would agree with his thoughts and ultimately leave the Forbidden Child to the wolves as he ought. Hiei turned his head to look into Kurama's eyes, he wanted to see them one last time before his fox finally gave up on him.

As the fire youkai twisted to look up at him, Kurama looked down into his eyes with surprise, Hiei hated eye-contact when there was emotional conflict. His emerald gaze lowered to the hi-youkai's own scarlet irises only to be shocked and upset by the emotions he found there.

The mask was completely thrown aside, leaving Hiei's expression unguarded and genuine (something of a rarity), his tiny mouth was parted ever so slightly by soft relaxed lips, a hint of colour had worked itself over his cheeks and his eyebrows were gently tugged down over his brow. But the real story lay in his wide expressive eyes. Embedded in huge almond-shaped seas of white, ruby shined with the myriad of complex emotions shifting and rolling beneath, like some great ocean whose depths are unknown to even to the oldest of sailors. Kurama had seen this expression before. It was how Hiei looked when he was truly scared.

The fox demon was taken aback. What had happened to make Hiei this afraid? It was certainly not his own outburst, the little demon could easily withstand even the wrath of a youko without feeling true fear; he'd done it before. No, something else must have happened, perhaps something to do with the scent. Kurama stiffened with realization. He already knew that the koorime had been hiding the full truth from him, probably out of fear, but it still saddened him to know that Hiei didn't trust him enough to tell him something of that magnitude.

His anger towards the hi-youkai was forgotten, cast off the moment those emotional eyes confronted him, but that did not mean he had calmed down by any stretch of the imagination; now his rage was directed at whatever had put that look into his fire demon's eyes. Determined to learn who or what it was that he should be planning to slowly torture to death, he removed his one hand from Hiei's shoulder and wrapped it around the fire demon's waist just like his other arm, effectively changing his hold on the little demon from aggressive to comforting. Letting his gaze soften as he observed the red eyes that he loved so much, he repeated his question quietly, "Why?"

The Forbidden Child tore his gaze away, vaguely wanting to refrain from telling Kurama the truth that he asked for. The kitsune was very intelligent, and from what Hiei saw in his eyes, it appeared he'd already begun to figure out what the hi-youkai was hiding simply by observing his very minimal expressions and movement. It was rather maddening to have your carefully constructed walls bulldozed so easily by someone who was supposedly in a fit of uncontrollable rage, but than again it was Youko Kurama he was talking about. Not only were youkos masters of observation and tact, but Kurama had a special aptitude for making Hiei always tell him more than he wanted to say.

As such when he thought he was brave enough to face the kitsune's eyes again and boldly looked up to meet them, he couldn't stop himself from blurting the truth out before it was too late, "It was rape." He felt Kurama's arms tense around him. "I-...I tried..."The sentence trailed off as Hiei finally got a hold of his tongue, immediately ceasing his confession.

Kurama had not expected that. He expected something close to it, but not actual rape. The fire demon had become so strong, so smart, practically unstoppable, so much so that Kurama had assumed nothing would ever be allowed that sort of control over him again, that those dark days of his past were finally over.

He had no illusions regarding the state of Hiei's life in the past, he was completely aware (both from experience and observation) that the life of any demon in the wilderness of Makai is pain-filled and dangerous, and that that inherent danger was tenfold for the Forbidden Child. Although Hiei didn't talk of his past very often, whenever he did there were bloody tones of pain, anger, and guilt, carefully hidden behind walls of indifference. It had taken Kurama years to get Hiei to open up to him in any way, and it had taken him even longer to say anything of his past.

There had been a night almost a year ago, when the rain had been gusting in sheets against the Ningenkai ground, sending animals fleeing for cover and toppling powerlines in it's wake, a storm bordering on hurricane conditions. During the violent night, Hiei had slipped into Kurama's room to escape the rain. The kitsune had gotten out of bed before he'd even arrived, sensing his youki approaching, and went to the window to greet him. But when he'd neared the little fire demon his heart had clenched at the sight of him shivering and tense, trying to curl in on himself in search of warmth.

The fox-human had stripped him of his clothes and dried him off before helping him under the thick quilts atop his bed, wrapping his arms protectively around the hi-youkai until the shivering form rested quietly against him. That was the first time Hiei had let Kurama help him without complaint, the first time that he'd sought out the kitsune when he was need.

It was later that same night that Hiei had woken up and turned to Kurama, the same look he had now in his eyes, as he stuttered out something unintelligible, clinging so fiercely to the youko's shirt that his hands became entangled in the fabric. After nearly five minutes of trying to calm him down, the fire demon finally managed to say what had been catching raggedly on his lips. He told Kurama that he'd had a nightmare, or more a memory, he'd seen something from his past, something that he never wanted to see again but something that kept popping up in his mind. The demon fox asked him to tell him what it was, asking over and over until Hiei finally broke down.

The little youkai spun a tale of a tiny child barely a year old, running as if the very hounds of hell were at his back, his arms scratched and bloody from pushing the thorny brush from his path, running blindly through thick Makai underbrush, terror etched plainly on his face. He gasped for breath as he stumbled on weak legs a few more unstable steps before crashing to his knees amid the demonic ferns. The clamour of footsteps rumbled behind him, echoing jarringly in his ears, he tried to force himself up to keep running no matter what, but his exhausted legs refused to move. The child whipped his head around in the direction of the noise, breath leaving his burning lungs in short gasps. Closer and closer the footsteps came, getting louder at each interval, until it was too late, the din was upon him.

Three demons towered over him, grinning down at their prey between heaving breaths. One with leathery green skin laughed a breathy, cruel laugh his eyes filled with all manner of savagery, "Did you really think you could escape us on such short legs?" He cackled harshly, "Did you really think you could escape fate, _Forbidden One?_"

That was all Hiei had told him that night, he'd become so tense at the memory that Kurama stopped him from continuing, choosing instead to stroke the fire youkai's hair silently, offering the comfort of his body until Hiei finally fell back asleep. Later on he'd managed to learn more and more of the koorime's life, taking in grim memory after grim memory whenever the hi-youkai was up for recounting his past. Mostly they were things that he'd expected to hear, things like being traded as a slave and being tortured and humiliated as a pet and a performer, but occasionally Hiei would tell him a memory that made even Kurama with all his years of experience cringe. Things that would leave weaker souls insane and untouchable.

So yes, Hiei had had traumatizing experiences in his past that left him afraid of intimacy and unfamiliar sentiments such as companionship and love. This was something Kurama already assumed, but when that the hi-youkai had said it aloud, trembling and wincing at mere _memories, _the fox demon got an idea of just how bad his scarring really was.

Now here he was, the little koorime standing tensely in the circle of his arms, having just been told that someone had used him, one of the only things that Hiei still felt a sliver of fear towards, to _his _youkai, the one that he had promised to protect. A wave of self-hatred rolled over him.

Hiei waited unhappily for the realization to hit, for the kitsune to throw him away asking _Are you really that weak?_ Demons chose mates based on power, but with this embarrassing confession the hi-youkai proved he was not nearly strong enough to keep around, so he knew there was no hope; they were done. He cast his eyes back to the ground in shame, brooding over the irony of having always searched for power, but ending up sickeningly weak.

After another minute of silence, Hiei began to get angry. He knew that Kurama understood him and that the fox must have figured out the rest of the untold story by now, so what was taking him?! Why hadn't he pushed the fire demon away from him yet? Was this some sort of cruel punishment for his weakness? Was he reveling in the fact that every moment left in his arms, was another year of darkness to come? Was that it?

The soft, sweet sound of Kurama's voice startled him from of his thoughts, "You tried to fight them?"

Hiei nodded slowly, sadly. Here it comes, he thought, here comes the inevitable _And you lost? You are pathetic._ He squeezed his eyes shut in anticipation of the end.

"There must have been a complication to have brought you down... We were not even informed of a strong demon in the area, so there must of been some extenuating circumstances. What were they?"

Red eyes shot wide open in surprise. Why was Kurama asking to know more of it than he had to know? Had he deluded himself into thinking there was some way to remain mates under these circumstances? If he really had tried to deceive himself like that, Hiei thought bitterly, than it was about time those illusions were ruined. The youkai almost glanced into the fox-human's eyes but stopped himself just short, he wouldn't be able to say what happened if he was looking at those emerald orbs.

His gaze carefully trailed on the grass, Hiei spoke "He wasn't that strong, only A class, maybe lower... But he could mask his presence... so that's probably why no one knew he was here, and that's also how... he took me by surprise..." His voice was quiet with shame, "He broke my leg before I even knew he was there... putting me at a disadvantage... We fought equally for a few minutes until he used my broken leg to pin me and stick a needle in my back... after that things got hazy. I only really remember a few moments... then I woke up." Scarlet eyes glared darkly at the ground. Normally even a demon who could cloak his presence wouldn't get past his defences, but his mind had been preoccupied by some troubling thoughts, extremely preoccupied.

When the demon had found him, Hiei had been preparing to tell Yukina the truth. He'd thought he was finally ready to say it, after being needled incessantly by Kurama and Yusuke. He'd thought that maybe she wouldn't mind if she knew he was her brother. He'd thought maybe... But now that he'd been proven weak and useless, that shimmer of hope was yet again tossed deep into the back of his heart.

Just as it had before, the sound Kurama's voice drew him from his thoughts, "That must have been a strong concoction to make it past your body's natural burning process. Are you still feeling its affects?" The youko's voice was laced thickly with concern.

Before Hiei could react to the tone of his friend's voice, he felt himself being turned around in the kitsune's hold until he was staring at the white fabric of Kurama's battle tunic. The fox's fingers were suddenly under his chin pulling his gaze up until ruby met emerald.

Hiei felt his cheeks heat up treacherously as he watched familiar green eyes run over his face, searching gravely for signs of injury or harm. What was he doing?! It didn't matter if he was still hurt, the point was that he'd been beaten, and easily at that! Kurama should be furious, not concerned for his health! The fire demon's thoughts continued to shout wildly in his head, reciting the rules of mating in Makai almost chant-like until that's all he could hear.

He was about to throw himself away from Kurama, inciting the proper reaction himself, until the fox's hand came up to cup his cheek, his bright eyes cast in shadow as he stared down emotionally into Hiei's wide almond eyes. Maybe he didn't care? The thought flew up unwarranted, contradicting everything he'd been taught to expect. Maybe he still wanted him, even though he'd been proven weak? Kurama had never betrayed him for demon aesthetics before, why would he this time? The hi-youkai tried to shake the thoughts away, but they stubbornly remained.

Then, as always, Hiei found himself confiding in those warm emerald eyes against his better judgement, "Are we still mated?" He hated the way his voice shook when he said that.

Kurama blinked, taking a long moment to understand where the little youkai had gotten such apprehensions. Slowly, the mating rules of Makai came flooding back into his mind, reminding him of the importance placed on power, explaining why Hiei was staring up at him with such a look of anxiety and dread. The kitsune couldn't hold back the smile that trembled on his lips; Hiei thought that he was going to end their relationship over the rules of mating in Makai, but it had taken nearly three minutes for the fox to remember they even existed.

"Did you really think I would reject you because of some foolish rules from an entirely different realm?" The fox demon rubbed his thumb across Hiei's cheekbone, smiling warmly down at him, "You mean everything to me. I'm not going to push you away for the sake of aesthetics. And certainly not for the sake of any idiotic convention created by pompous self-worshipping fools." As he chuckled through the last part, Kurama lowered his face until his breath was mingling with that of the hi-youkai's, taking in the familiar scent of his skin with appreciation, "Please don't think things like that."

Hiei opened his mouth to respond, ready to insult the fox for his idiocy, but his angry, incredulous response morphed into a shocked whimper against Kurama's warm lips.

The kiss was deep and slow, making up for the last ten minutes of tension. Kurama dove happily into the action, moaning soundlessly with relief at having the fire demon safely in his arms again. His tongue dragged lazily through the cavern of Hiei's mouth, relishing the heat and softness of his youkai, smiling at the way Hiei struggled to get himself higher to deepen the kiss. Their bodies pressed up desperately against one another, melting into the familiar shapes of familiar frames, apologizing for words with action. The hi-youkai clung urgently to the front of Kurama's tunic, feeling the desperate need to keep the fox from pulling away from him, a tiny irrational fear telling him that his partner could cease to exist at any given moment. In turn, Kurama wrapped his arms tighter around the little demon, crushing him further into his chest, wordlessly reassuring him. But after a period of luxurious sensual contact filled with deep heat and relief, they pulled away just far enough to fill their starving lungs.

As their heavy breathing tangled together in the miniscule distance between them, Kurama's thoughts composed themselves to a familiar sense of peace and conviction. There had been a foreboding in his heart for the past few hours; stemming from the scent surrounding Hiei and the subsequent thought that the relationship he cherished more than anything was on the verge of destruction. Now, with the fire demon gathered tightly against his chest, the troubling thoughts of conclusion were banished in an instant, replaced by a welcome sense of relief and safety.

However, an anger so deep as the one he'd been feeling for nearly two hours now was not so easily dispersed. As the initial elation wore off his anger began to bubble up again, but it was no longer directed at Hiei; now he raged against whoever dared touch his youkai.

"Now that we've established that you're not to blame, tell me who is." The kitune's expression was angry and lethal, but he smiled wildly regardless. "Who is it that I should be killing slowly?"

Hiei's eyes, which had been glazed and unfocused before, snapped back to attention. For a moment he considered whether he should just tell the truth openly, because he knew it wasn't exactly what Kurama wanted to hear, but he'd never been one for softening the facts before so why start now? "Dead. I hunted him the moment I regained consciousness... Sorry if I took your kill from you, but I believe vengeance was mine anyway."

Green eyes widened for a moment as Kurama processed the response. He had to admit that he was a little angry that the bastard was dead before he could administer the type of punishment he deserved, but knowing Hiei he had no doubt that the demon experienced a substantial amount of pain as he died. Slightly mollified by the thought of the criminal bleeding out on the end of Hiei's sword, Kurama shook his head with a derisive snort before replying, "You really are bringing bad news today. First your smell, then your allusiveness, now you tell me I can't even take my anger out on that slime?" He chuckled under his breath, running a half-claw down Hiei's spine, "You should really learn some manners."

With an involuntary shiver at Kurama's antics, Hiei shot a death glare up at the fox. "I'm not allusive."

"Hm, perhaps allusive was the wrong word. How about taciturn? Or maybe blunt and unrefined are more suitable?" the kitsune sniggered.

"Hn." Hiei grunted before looking away, or as well as he could when crushed so tightly against Kurama's chest. But angry as he looked, the koorime did not attempt to leave his fox, in fact he let himself melt farther into the embrace as a short moment of warm silence passed.

A gentle summer breeze danced through the grove, catching gingerly on the branches before disappearing into the distance. The morning light gave everything a bright, clean tinge, filtering like delicate lace through the spiderweb canopy, casting intricate shadows among the thick carpet of grass underfoot. Dew glistened furtively among the greenery, appearing only long enough to give the impression of a sparkle before disappearing forever. Birds sang quietly far away in the woods, water ran somewhere near by, and the smell of wet grass together with animal scent drifted steadily in the lively air.

The fire youkai sniffed quietly at the breeze picking up the scent of a late blossoming tree, a rotting log, some lilies, newly hatched chicks, and a wolf in heat. He carefully dissected the scents, learning more and more as he studied them closer, absorbing the story of the living thing that was the forest around him. It was comfortable, there in Kurama's arms, breathing in the life of the forest, hearing the quiet sounds of his favorite element, feeling the fox-humans soothing heat against him; savouring the knowledge that he was still wanted.

Suddenly the calm was broken as Kurama stiffened abruptly against him. Before Hiei could say anything, a low growl erupted from the back of his friend's throat. The hi-youkai's eyes widened, a sudden fear of abandonment gripping his chest, "Wha-" he started but was cut off by the angry sound of Kurama's half-youko voice.

"This can't be right while you still smell like that…" The words slipped angrily through the kitsune's bared teeth. Another venomous growl rumbled in the back of his throat and reverberated low in his chest.

Hiei winced as the rumbling traversed the nonexistent space between them and shook him to the bone. Was this a regression? Had Kurama taken back what he'd said before? He'd known it was too good to be true, his weakness and failure had put an end to their relationship. Kurama had been unbelievably kind in his attempt to keep them together for his sake, but it was fundamentally impossible to stay mated anymore.

The Forbidden Child gave in meekly to thoughts of failure and conclusions that were so very similar to so many thoughts before them. With a tired acceptance, he concluded that there was no use resisting the termination of an idealistic relationship that was doomed to begin with. Slumping his shoulders in defeat, Hiei decided to get the end over with sooner rather than later.

His voice meticulously cold and impassive, the koorime delivered the final blow, "Would you let go of me? It's fairly obvious that I'm not wanted here anymore."

The Youko made no move to release him, instead he looked down at Hiei with a quirked head and a sad, but curious expression. "Not wanted?" the fox-human thought about the phrase for a moment before his frown deepened and his brow furrowed, "Do you have it in your head again that I don't want to be mated anymore? Gods, you're distrustful…"

The little fire demon blinked, confusion playing across his features. Slowly and hesitantly, he opened his mouth to respond, choosing his words carefully lest this all be a trap, "You still want to be mated? What made you so angry then?"

Kurama couldn't hold back the indulgent smile he felt forming on his lips. Hiei was just so unbelievably cute when he was struggling to understand things like this, things that would just be common sense to anyone else. Drinking in the sight of his demon's uncertain and child-like expression, the kitsune answered in a quiet voice, "I'm angry because every time I smell that... _smell _on you, it reminds me that I failed to keep you safe. That someone other than me touched you and I didn't do anything about it… I'm mad at that smell and it's connotations, not you Hiei."

"Oh…" Hiei murmured, looking down at the fabric of the fox demon's tunic as he thought. He didn't look up as he spoke again; almost unintelligible he was so quiet, "I'm sorry for letting this happen to me. If I had been more attentive and strong, this smell wouldn't be bothering you right now…"

A sudden blast of warm breath startled the hi-youkai as Kurama released a quiet, gentle laugh. "The only part of that statement that I agree with is that I'm also sorry for what happened to you. However, if you try to blame yourself for this even once more I really will be mad at you." Hiei looked up again as his mate spoke, locking eyes with the fox-human and subsequently solidifying the youko's threat. Before he continued Kurama took a moment to run his hand lovingly through fur-like jet black hair. Then, with a smirk, gold consumed green and his voice lowered to a husky whisper, "Besides, the remedy for that smell isn't too difficult to apply… I'd even call it … fun."

For a mere moment Hiei started at the dangerous tone of the fox demon's voice, his muddled emotions getting in the way of reason, but in a matter of seconds he shivered at the sultry look in Kurama's eyes.

The youko descended slowly, observing every single reaction of the koorime trembling in his arms, until they were nose to nose staring silently into each other's eyes. As hot breath blossomed on his lips, a faint, anxious thought remained cemented at the back of Hiei's mind. Maybe they really were deluding themselves… Maybe it wouldn't be the same anymore… But his frightened thoughts vanished as Kurama suddenly completed the contact between them, consuming his lips in an abrupt, savage action.

It was fuller this time, less apologetic, much more demanding. Kurama pushed his way into the youkai's mouth, fiercely running the length of his teeth and tangling with his tongue. Their movements were feverish and luxurious, completely without boundary in any way their actions became demonic, growling and clawing, biting and wrestling as if it were a fight instead of an expression of love. Their bout continued for many minutes, sending them to the ground in the midst of their primal behaviour, sprawled and tangled in the long wild grass. Kurama bit Hiei's lip and Hiei attacked Kurama's throat, as the sensitive area under his ear was teased Hiei gasped and Kurama chuckled, Kurama growled in approval as Hiei worked his way along the fox's collarbone. And after many minutes of violent tonguing, they lay breathless and twisted together; Hiei laying on Kurama's chest his arms resting on the fox's shoulders, Kurama's arms twisted around Hiei's waist and their legs a mess of limbs beneath them.

With their foreheads resting against each other, they both stared quietly into the other's eyes, the only sound that of their heavy breathing. The kistune smiled happily, his emerald orbs reflecting the warmth and love in his expression, and the fire youkai's eyes beamed excitement and happiness that managed to it's way down to a tiny smile on his lips. For a long moment they remained like that, gazing intently, appreciating the intimacy and the depth of feeling without expressing any of it aloud. A bird twittered and another breeze passed through, the forest lived and breathed all around them, but now it all seemed so much more real.

After a period of silence and understanding, the fox-human shifted slightly, shaking Hiei out of his reverie. The little demon shifted his position as well to accommodate the half-human, briefly looking away as he moved, and when he looked back at the fox's eyes he found a whole new expression there. Eyes fierce, nostrils flared, and fangs bared in a mischievous grin, the kitsune eyed him hungrily for a matter of seconds before suddenly flipping them around.

In their new position Hiei was trapped completely under the youko, his shoulders pinned by a gentle but firm hold, and his legs tangled and useless. After a quick assessment of his imprisonment, the fire demon looked back up into his mate's eyes. Kurama's vibrant hair fell around their faces like a curtain and darkened the colour of his irises substantially, but even so Hiei could see the gold sparkling there. There was a wild look in the fox demon's eyes, hungry and happy, dangerous and triumphant, and his expression sharpened even more as he ran his tongue over his lips. With one final fanged smirk, Kurama's voice broke the silence in a velvety purr;

"I think it's about time we replaced that scent, don't you?…"

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...~~~***~~~...

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Cheers ;)


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